I sang the national anthem of India at Reunion Island on August 15: Maya Kamaty

Maya belongs to a family dedicated to preserving Maloyan music and culture and her songs reflect everything about the islands’ life, issues and speak of its history.

| TNN | Jan 16, 2014, 04.37 PM IST

Maya belongs to a family dedicated to preserving Maloyan music and culture and her songs reflect everything ab... Read More

JODHPUR: Maya Kamaty is a well known singer/songwriter and composer from the Reunion Island (between Indian Ocean and Madagascar). Maya is a fifth generation expatriate tracing her roots to Rajasthan. The maloyan daughter of Gilbert Pounia, frontman of the famous 'Ziskakan' group, traces her father's ancestors to Rajasthan as she performed for the first time at last year's Jodhpur RIFF at the Mehrangarh fort.

Maya belongs to a family dedicated to preserving Maloyan music and culture and her songs reflect everything about the islands' life, issues and speak of its history. From erstwhile slavery to the flowers that grow there, the songs composed mostly in Creole (the official language of the Reunion Islands); breathe a whiff of fresh air. Apart from vocals, the multi-talented Maya, who plays the guitar and roleur (Maloya and French), blends traditional instruments with modern influences. Her music is a mix of African rhythms, modern harmonies with a touch of the blues.

In an interview with Meenakshi Sinha, Maya throws light on her music and how she went in knots seeing Rolling Stone's legendary frontman Mick Jagger turn up midway through her performance at the RIFF.

Tell us about Maloyan music.

The Maloya is the traditional music of the Reunion Island. It's also sung in Mauritius and several islands in the Indian Ocean. Maloya is a kind of blues music and is a form of singing which was only sung by the slaves. It comprises of percussion and voices - that's all. During the 1970s to 1981 the Maloya was forbidden in the Reunion Islands by the government because it talked about the problems and issues faced by the slaves or common people over the years. These problems related to the society, racism etc which the government had banned. In 1979 my father Gilbert Pounia and mother put together a band with the help of some writers and composers to give voice to the people's problems. They brought Maloya back into limelight as they fought for their language and values. They talked about apartheid in South Africa and lack of opportunities from the government relegating them to work in sugarcane fields. Today, because of their sustained struggle Maloya is part of UNESCO world heritage and now we are looking at more opportunities to mix it with different cultures. My music is not pure traditional Maloya as it's a mix and at a basic roots level.

You play an interesting instrument as you sing (it's like a straw, bamboo tray that's used in villages to sieves dust out of grains). Tell us about that.

It's called Kayanm. It's made from sugarcane and has cornflower seeds in equal number within four compartments. It's from those seeds that one gets the sound of draining seeds or rolling minute shingles.

You are the fifth generation from India, especially Rajasthan. Tell us how you trace that?

I'm still looking for clues. My dad just found his PIO cards and found documents of marriage of his ancestors (like his great great great grandfathers). But that document of marriage does not say where they were born. Many years after the slavery abolition act when people came to Reunion Island by boat from Tamil Nadu and Gujarat they were put in quarantine and given a form to fill with details like their name and place of domicile etc. Since their names were very long, so as a practice, the colonisers just cut it into half at random. Similarly we got Pounia which was a short form of a longer name which we are not able to trace. That's why I'm facing the difficulty of tracing my ancestry now.

So is music a way to let-out?

Yes, I'm very touched when I listen to Indian classical music though I don't understand it much. I've listened to a lot of Ravi Shankar's music and others but I am unable to recall their names because I don't remember off hand. But ya when I see their picture, I remember their music. So Indian music really influences me and I'd like to work more with Indian artists.

Other than Indian classical, have you heard any other Indian music?

Yes I have but I can't remember the name as I find Indian music very complex. When I'm in India I listen to a lot of music, but when people ask me which one, I'm lost if I haven't written down the name of the artist or the song. I have to then search on the net. But I'm open to all kinds of music.

So what is your music about?

I sing about nature, love and issues. For example the first song that I sang here at RIFF talks about alcoholism. It's a very big problem in Reunion Island. I wanted to talk about that because it's inspired by the life of Milanese musician called Ala Petes who died on the street drunk. Also I've been inspired by him as he was a great musician in Reunion Island who just left (gestures towards heaven) all of a sudden. The second song was about a hurricane while the last song was about mountains, flowers and falls which reminds me of the beauty where I grew up.

You did not jam with the Rajasthani folk artists at RIFF.

I would love to but because we did not get enough time I was not able to practice with them. But I sang the national anthem of India - the Jan Gan Man - at the Reunion Island this year on Independence Day (Aug 15) at the request of the counsel general.

Mick Jagger walked in midway to your performance and heard you.

Wow. I was very focussed on my song when I saw him in the first row and I was like (gestures towards throttling her throat). I can't explain what I went through as I felt my throat just went aweee (makes a screeching sound) and in my belly there was these knots forming like they'll burst (gestures like a bursting belly).

But one felt that you got really energised after seeing him and your voice turned sexier. In fact he left after your performance.

Yeah? really? (Laughs and looks on in mischievous disbelief). I felt my legs are going to give way and I'll fall and that's what he'll end up seeing.

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